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For those who long to sleep in the wintry splendour of untouched nature but balk at the idea of bunking down with a dozen stinky cross-country skiers in a refuge or freezing in a tent, a welcome alternative has arrived. Quebec’s provincial park authority SÉPAQ has added a new strata of accommodation: Cosy, attractive cabins dubbed “nature chalets” have opened this winter in four parks, bringing a bit of civilization to the great outdoors.

We tried one in early January in the Parc National du Mont Orford, 90 minutes east of Montreal. Our “Catchpaw” chalet was one of five on a small cul-de-sac on the northwestern end of the large park in the Eastern Townships. Four of them were built this winter, and are so new their walls and ceilings of white pine are still white, with none of the discoloration to a golden amber hue that comes with time and exposure to sunlight.

We came to our cabin after an afternoon spent exploring nearby Magog. We keyed in a password to open the gate to the park as dusk fell, surrounded by trees still heavily laden with the aftermath of the holiday season storm. Because it was a Sunday night, we were the only tenants, so it felt as if we had a provincial park all to ourselves.

Our cabin was the last one along the road, a cheery structure of dark and light wood, beams connected with steel plates. Our reservations, cross-country ski passes and entry code to the hut were tucked into an envelope in the mailbox outside.

Opening the door revealed a cosy, immaculate residence, thoughtfully laid out with two single beds upstairs in an open mezzanine, a double bed in a downstairs bedroom, and a full bathroom with heated shower, kitchenette and dining table. Plates, pots and pans, as well as luxuries like a colander, grater and wine glasses, were also included. It was not huge, but more than enough for a family of four or friends out for a weekend. Inside was a propane fireplace, and there was a firepit outside for a real fire.

The move toward more high-end accommodations in provincial parks better known for offering a choice between tents or very rustic lodgings came after repeated requests from park guests.

“Our clients have been asking for higher-end accommodations,” Annie Béliveau, head of customer services at the park, said. “They wanted something more private or fancy than the communal refuges or tents.”

The premise has proven popular. The chalets were fully booked through the Christmas break, and all five located at Orford were reserved for weekends from January through early March (weekend guests have to stay for two nights minimum), although plenty of spots remain during the week.

At $165 a night (which rises to $204 when taxes and park access fees are factored in), the chalets are not cheap, but they are popular nonetheless, particularly with families, or couples seeking a romantic getaway, Béliveau said. Considering the other private, heated accommodation options in the provincial parks — staying in a yurt, or another similar one-room tent structure — cost $137 a night, plus taxes and fees, it’s still a relatively good deal.

We awoke to a bright, cold morning, had a lazy breakfast and headed out to explore some of the park’s 50 kilometres of cross-country ski trails of all difficulty levels, which started just down the road from our chalet. There were also snowshoeing and pedestrian trails.

We skied by the snow-covered beach on Lake Stukely, and stopped in at the Le Castor refuge, which can accommodate 20 skiers in one large room so long as they nestle two to a bed in bunk beds. It made us appreciate our nature chalet all the more.

IF YOU GO

Four SÉPAQ parks offer the nature chalets so far: Orford, Mont-Tremblant, Yamaska (also in the Eastern Townships, about an hour from Montreal) and Monts Valin in the Saguenay region. The price is $165 a night, plus taxes and park entry fees, and not including cross-country ski fees, which are $10.87 a day per adult, taxes not included, and $5.44 for children age 6-17. A family of four can ski for $26.09, plus tax.

If you plan to stay at Orford, it’s important to note that the route to the area where the chalets are located is not the same as that to the main entrance to the park, a 25-minute drive away. If you do reserve a chalet, the park will send detailed directions, ski passes, park passes, a map of the trails and everything else you need for your stay, so you can drive directly to your cabin without needing to check in at the park’s information centre. Ski and snowshoe trails run right near the chalets. There is also the Mont Orford alpine ski hill in the park.

If you visit the Orford chalets, you’ll be getting off at Exit 106 on Highway 10. There is a supermarket and SAQ on your left at the first stop sign off the exit, and the chalet is a 10-minute drive from there.

The kitchenette has a two-burner stove, but no oven. It also has a microwave, toaster oven and coffee maker. There are no music players, so if music is important to you, bring your own. And you have to bring your own bedding and blankets, or it can be rented from SÉPAQ.

Visit www.sepaq.com/pq/mor/ and click on accommodations to learn more about the chalets at Orford and make a reservation.

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